


With a Little Help from My Friends

by alexandwrite



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu Fluff, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, M/M, Minor Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Minor Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Minor Tanaka/Kiyoko, Minor Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Minor Ukai/Takeda, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Team Dynamics, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Valentine's Day, such good boys, supportive team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 21:13:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13256730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandwrite/pseuds/alexandwrite
Summary: Valentine's Day is coming up, and Asahi is in love!  But...with whom?  With only a cryptic clue as their guide, the Karasuno volleyball team searches for a way to unite Asahi with his love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a not-for-profit work. The characters of Haikyuu!! belong to Haruichi Furudate.
> 
> Digging around in my old files, I found this 3-year-old unpublished fic. I've been having a hard time focusing on writing, so I thought I'd publish it to give myself a boost. It made me both cringe and smile. I hope you enjoy it. Reviews welcome.
> 
> Dedicated to a certain AsaNoya AMV maker who always made me smile, and who had to delete their channel to keep themselves safe from Russian propaganda laws. Let's all work together to make a world where everyone is safe to love who they love.

Volleyballs were being put back in carts, the net was being stored, and the floors were being swept as the soft moonlight shone in through the window of the second gymnasium.  It had been a long and hard day of practice, and the boys of the Karasuno High School volleyball team were drenched in sweat and ready to drop.  Despite their exhaustion, the morale was high.  They were shaping up to be a strong, cohesive team.

Some of the team members had big tests to study for and ducked out as soon as practice was over, Takeda-sensei had a meeting with a troublesome student, and Coach Ukai had a problem to settle at the shop, so the only ones left to clean up were Asahi, Daichi, Suga, Tanaka, Noya, Kageyama, and Hinata.  Hurrying to finish cleaning and panting heavily, the boys made excited chat about their practice match the next day.

“We’re really lucky to have such talented first years.”

“Senpai, that Rolling Thunder move is just so cool!  You gotta teach me!!”

“Heh, just leave it to your senpai!”

“Hinata, you friggin’ dumbass idiot shortie!  No way you’re gonna be able to stay on the court if you can’t even serve properly!”

“Please don’t strangle your teammate, Kageyama-kun!”

Valentine’s Day was coming up in just one short week, but most of the boys were unconcerned—or at least, they seemed to be.  Either their focus was completely on becoming the best volleyball team in Japan, or they did a very good job of pretending not to think of that special someone.  Well, all of them except for…

“Asahi!” Daichi had finished putting the net away.  He was standing by the closet, giving Asahi a piercing glare that made him jump and drop his broom.  He fumbled to catch it but it clattered onto the floor.  Reaching for it, Asahi froze as he caught sight of Daichi’s expression.

“Ah, y-yes, Daichi!  Coming!”  Asahi ran over.  Daichi continued to give him a scrutinizing gaze.  Asahi felt his muscles tense up.  Daichi could be s-so s-s-scary when he wanted to be…

At length, the intimidating team captain spoke.  “Everyone on the team is in top shape, except for you.”

“U-um, what?”  Asahi mumbled, blushing slightly.

Daichi delivered a swift karate chop to the top of his skull, making him yelp.  “Don’t try to feign ignorance!  You’ve been spacing out during practice, missing receive after receive.  Your spikes are weaker than usual, too.  You’re our ace, ya know—if you don’t have energy, everybody else is going to lose energy, too.”

Asahi bowed in nervous contrition.  “I’m sorry!  I’ll do better next time, I promise! …Well, if that’s all--!”  Asahi tried to make a break for it, but Daichi clamped his hand on Asahi’s shoulder, making him freeze.

“You don’t think I’m gonna let you go without an explanation, do you?  How do I know you’ll be better tomorrow if I don’t know what’s causing this little slump of yours?”

Suga, who had been listening in with interest, appeared next to Daichi.  “Hmm…Spacing out, blushing, trembling…and Valentine’s day is…”  Suga’s face split into a wide smile.  “I’ve got it!  Our ace is in love!”

“W-w-what?!” Asahi blustered.  He could feel himself being penned in as the other boys of the team joined in on the conversation.

“Who is she?!  Is she cute?!” asked an overly enthusiastic Nishinoya.

“Asahi-senpai, do your best!” said a bright-eyed Hinata.

“I’m pretty experienced, actually, so I could give you a few tips,” said Tanaka with his chest puffed out.  Noya laughed at that, and Tanaka hit him upside the head.

“Everyone, please!  I didn’t say anything yet…Suga could be wrong, you know…”  But as Asahi’s face heated up even more at the sight of the knowing smirks of Daichi and Suga, his true feelings were obvious.

“Well!  There’s only one way to get our ace back to normal!” Daichi pointed his finger at Asahi, who recoiled.  “Asahi.  Tell us who you like, and we will help you win her affections!”

Asahi took a deep breath, pulling himself together.  He put on a brave face against all this embarrassing talk, determined not to let his teammates get to him.

“Or _his_ affections,” Suga piped up, grinning slightly.

Asahi’s brave face melted away.  His face turned an even deeper red than before.  He did an abrupt about-face and began to run out of the room.

But Tanaka and Noya were blocking the door, arms crossed and eyes glinting mischievously.

“Ah-ha, Asahi-san,” said Tanaka.  “That’s the way you swing, after all…I’m not surprised…”

“It’s not a bad thing, though!” piped up Noya, reaching up his hand to put it on Asahi’s tall shoulder.  “We’ll support you, Asahi!”

“How did I get into this mess?” Asahi groaned.

“Who’s the lucky guy?!” asked Hinata.  “Is he on the team?  You hang out with us all the time, after all!”

“Well…” he mumbled, non-committedly.

“Come to think of it,” Suga pondered, a finger on his chin, “Asahi seems to have been paying attention in class pretty well, and his grades aren’t suffering.  So if he’s just spacing out during practice, it would make sense for the object of his affections to be on the team…”

“You keep track of my grades and make sure I’m paying attention in class?!”

“Of course!” Daichi said.  “You have a promising future, and we don’t want your being on the team this semester to interfere with that.”

Asahi gave his two classmates a disbelieving look.  “What are you, my parents?!”

“All riiiiight!  Detective Noya is on the case!” the short boy burst in.  “To review the facts…Poor Asahi is desperately in love, with a boy, probably on the volleyball team.”

“I haven’t confirmed any of this, you know…” Asahi muttered.  But everyone ignored him…except Kageyama, who seemed to sense his discomfort.  He spoke up gruffly, a scowl on his face.

“If he doesn’t want to say, he doesn’t have to.  Maybe he’s too afraid to say anything, and you guys should just respect that, okay?”  Everyone, even Asahi, was gape-mouthed, clearly astonished that Kageyama had spoken up on the subject.  Kageyama scowled even more fervently to mask his embarrassment.  As the conversation continued, Kageyama’s eyes frequently flitted to Hinata, a slightly sad expression on his pink-tinged face, but nobody seemed to notice.

“I really don’t want to tell.  After all, I don’t think I could work up the courage to say anything to him,” Asahi whispered helplessly, hanging his head.  The yearning look on the love-stricken boy’s face made everyone’s hearts melt.

“How about this, Asahi?” asked Daichi.  “You give us one clue as to who it is, then we won’t bother you about it anymore.  We’ll just try to figure it out for ourselves.  That way, if we figure it out, the one you like will have time to decide their own feelings.  It’ll be easier for you to speak up to that person if he knows your feelings, too.  Sound good?”

Asahi looked up in surprise.  “Uh, sure!  But…you promise to stop teasing me after I give you the clue?”

“Poor Asahi, with his heart of glass!” Tanaka laughed.  “We promise, so just hurry up and tell us, okay?!”

Asahi’s brow furrowed as he tried to think of a clue.  Everyone smiled at him with encouragement, which just made him nervous.  Finally, an idea struck him.  He gave a long and weary exhale as he prepared to say something embarrassing.

“Okay…the clue is…The guy I like…” Everyone leaned in fractionally.  “…Really stands out on the court.”

Silence.  The looks on the boys’ faces were blank.

“…Huh?”

Tanaka was the first to recover his senses.  “Hey, that’s cheating!  It’s way too vague!”

“Plus, are you saying that only one of us really stands out, and the rest are mediocre?!” demanded Hinata, a bit insecure as he thought of the bad receives he had done that day.

“No, not at all!” said Asahi, waving his hands to appease them.  “It’s just, well…”  Asahi’s eyes widened a bit, and he brought his hand to his lips, making a zipping motion.

Daichi laughed.  “Well, fair is fair!  He gave us a clue, so we have to stop bothering him.  I think we can figure it out, if we put our heads together!”

As promised, the other boys stopped bothering Asahi, though they gave him furtive glances as they finished cleaning up.  Finally, it was time to go home.

“You coming, Asahi?” asked Suga.

“Yeah, just give me a minute.  I’ll catch up.”

Suga gave him a slight smile.  “Okay, then, lover boy.  See you tomorrow!”  He gave a little wave and left the gym.

Left alone, Asahi gave a long sigh.  Seriously, those guys…They meant well, but Asahi just didn’t feel brave enough to talk to…him.  Asahi felt a swell of emotion at the thought of that amazing boy.  He’s the brightest part of Asahi’s life, so what if telling him would just freak him out?  What if he didn’t accept Asahi’s feelings, and didn’t even want to be friends anymore?

Noya stood just outside the gym, back pressed against the brick wall, sneaking glances through the open door every once in a while.  Everyone else had gone ahead, perhaps feeling a little guilty for embarrassing Asahi earlier and wanting to give him some space.  But Noya couldn’t bring himself to leave him alone, frowning like that…

“Asahiiiii!” Noya called, poking his grinning face through the door.  Asahi looked up suddenly, wearing a sheepish expression as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t.  “You’re not gonna stand there all night, are you?!  We have a practice match tomorrow!”

“Yeah, I know,” said Asahi, finally beginning to relax at the sight of the cheerful boy who was waiting for him.

“Let’s go, okay?” Noya grinned.

Asahi returned his smile, and together they began to walk home.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, sleeping beauties…Come on, you two!  WAKE UP ALREADY!!”

Daichi and Suga shot bolt upright, looking around in bewilderment, and they were greeted by the sight of Coach Ukai’s irritated face.  Looking around, they realized they were seated on a bus.  It took them a moment to realize that it was the morning of their practice match.  They didn’t remember walking to school and boarding the bus that morning, as they had practically been zombies and fell asleep as soon as their rear ends had hit the soft bus cushions.

“It’s time to go.  We’re here for the practice match, remember?  So let’s _move_!”  With that, Coach Ukai descended the steps of the bus.  Daichi and Suga saw that their teammates were standing on the host school’s sidewalk, peeking in through the open door of the bus and smiling slyly.  Unbeknownst to them, Daichi and Suga had looked adorable as they slept, Suga leaning on his captain’s shoulder and Daichi’s head resting atop that of his vice-captain.

Now, slightly embarrassed at the unleaderly-ness of their behavior, Daichi and Suga ran off the bus to join their teammates.

 

Coach Ukai had already gone over the starting positions for the match and given a little pep talk, but there was still at least a half hour until the teams were expected to be on the court.  The boys were sitting on the hallway floor in a rough circle, mentally prepping themselves for the match ahead of them.  It was only a practice match, but the Karasuno boys took every match they played in seriously, even practice matches, even against reportedly weak teams like the one they were about to face.  So, the boys were silent, each within his own world, until Daichi spoke up.

“Hey, Asahi.  We have time, so why don’t you take a walk out in the fresh air?  We’ll come get you when it’s time to go in.”

“Huh?  The weather is nice today, but why are you telling me specifically?  You and Suga look like you could use some fresh air, with those dark bags under your eyes…”

“JUST GO!” Daichi snapped, pointing at the exit.

“Yeep!”  Asahi jumped up and ran out the door.

His teammates looked at Daichi quizzically, all except Suga, who said solemnly, “I hereby convene the first official meeting of the Committee of Cupids!”

Daichi rolled his eyes.  “Committee of Cupids?  That’s the best you can come up with?”

Most of the boys realized then what was going on, but Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Ennoshita still looked confused.  Suga gave them a quick run-down on what had happened in the gym the previous night, and the three agreed to help.

Daichi cleared his throat.  “First of all, as your captain, I’d like to apologize for not being in peak condition this morning.  I know this doesn’t excuse us, but Suga and I were up late last night, you see.”

“Pfft!” Tsukishima scoffed.  Daichi ignored his smirk, and continued.

“We were watching tapes of our previous practice matches.”

Suga unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket, and everyone leaned in to look.  It had the names of all the team members on it, except for Asahi, and next to each person’s name was a number.

“YEAAAH!  I got a higher number than Kageyama!” Hinata roared in triumphed.  Kageyama put his hand on top of the shorter boy’s head, pressing it into his spine.

“Sh-shut up, moron!  We don’t even know what those numbers mean yet!”

“Ow, ow, ow…”

Daichi spoke up.  “As we went through the tapes, we gave each team member a certain amount of points for each cool thing that they did.  For example, a receive from a tough serve might be three points, a really good spike might be five points, and a service ace might be ten points.  We subtracted for embarrassing flubs, too.”  Daichi glanced at Hinata at these words, making him shrink a bit in humility and making Kageyama smirk.

“I get it,” said Noya.  “You were trying to figure out who stood out the most over the course of last semester, huh?”

“That’s it!” said Suga.  “And the winner is…Hinata, with 78 points.”  Despite his frequent flubs, Hinata had earned a ton of points for his impressive decoy work.

“W-what?!” Hinata stammered, realizing the implication of the results.  “So, is Asahi’s crush…could it be…?”

“I’m sure it’s not,” interrupted Kageyama.  “Even if you’re a passable decoy, it doesn’t make you the one who ‘stands out’ the most.”

Hinata seemed a bit relieved at those words.  “Huh…I guess if Asahi wasn’t the ace, and if he had given us the same clue, it would be a lot easier to figure it out.  ‘Cause the ace stands out the most, right?  That’s why they’re the ace.”

“Personally, I think setters stand out the most,” Kageyama grumbled.

“What’s that?” teased Tsukishima.  “You want to be the one, Kageyama?  My, my…”

Kageyama tried to go for the obnoxiously chuckling boy’s throat, but Daichi held him back.

“Calm down, you guys!  We don’t have much time before the start of the practice match, so let’s think this out…I don’t think Hinata’s the one Asahi likes.  Call it intuition, but I don’t think he’s his type.”

“It was kind of a pointless exercise, too,” Tsukishima commented.  “Since Asahi was playing during those practice matches, he couldn’t have been keeping track of who did the most cool things in such a precise manner.”

“Still, we did hope it would reveal _something_ about Asahi’s crush…” Suga said, a bit crestfallen.

At that moment, two hands reached out from behind Suga and Daichi, clamping down on their shoulders.  They flinched.  Two eyes glinted from behind their backs.

“So, that’s what this is about, eh?” growled Coach Ukai.  He stood up and took his place beside Takeda-sensei, hands on his hips.  “STAND!”  Everyone immediately obeyed.  “Now look.  It’s very noble of you all to look after your friend’s love life, but don’t you dare let it distract you from your goals.  This may just be a practice match, but it’s also the first stepping stone on the long road to Finals.  So go out there and give it your all!”

“YES, SIR!” the boys cheered.  Heads held high with fresh determination, they marched through the double doors and onto the court, leaving the team’s coach and advisor alone in the hallway.

A few minutes later, Asahi poked his head in from outside, and was astonished when he realized that his teammates were no longer in the hallway.  Ukai and Takeda looked at the blubbering boy in surprise.  Sighing and shaking his head, Ukai walked over, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, and dragged him to the double doors.

Asahi was pushed through, stumbled, and walked nervously onto the court.  Joining the group of players, Asahi put on an exaggerated pout.  The others smiled sheepishly and apologized for forgetting him.

Still, Asahi couldn’t help but be a little upset.  They really forgot about him, not noticing his absence as they walked onto the court as a team?  Is he not that crucial as a teammate after all?

As the others continued warming up, Noya watched the ace’s glum, downturned face for a few moments.  Taking a deep breath, he marched up to Asahi.

“Asahi,” he said, and the taller boy’s head shot up.

Noya’s bright, eagle-like eyes stared into Asahi’s for a solemn moment.  Then his face split into one of his wide, shining grins.

“Let’s have a good match today, okay?  We’re counting on you!”

Asahi’s eyes widened and his heart lightened.

“Yes!”

 

As the small crowd who had come to see the match applauded and cheered, the boys on the Karasuno team celebrated their victory.  There were high-fives, fist bumps, and even a few carefully platonic bro-hugs.

But after a quick roar of triumph, Noya and Tanaka each grabbed a stack of papers and a bundle of pencils from the bench and ran over to the exit.  They handed a piece of paper and pencil to every exiting member of the audience, who looked at them quizzically.

“Um, excuse me,” said a high school girl with pigtails and freckles.  “This says, ‘Which of these players stood out the most,’ but what exactly do you mean by that?”

“It’s intentionally vague!” exclaimed Tanaka.  “Just answer it to the best of your ability!”

“Waah, I don’t like exams…” whimpered another high school girl with glasses.

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” beamed Noya.  “We really appreciate your help with this!”

A voice started speaking from behind the libero and the wing spiker.  It started low and carefully controlled, but then burst into a yell.

“What…the hell…are you two…DOING?!”

“Yikes!”

Coach Ukai hit them both upside the head, then immediately began bowing and apologizing to the two girls and the other people who had stuck around the take the survey.  The other Karasuno team members were leaving the court, and Daichi and Suga gave the two troublesome boys shamefaced smiles.

 

In the boys’ locker room, Daichi discreetly gathered his teammates (except for Asahi) in a corner to quickly go over the survey results.

“Out of the seventeen people who completed and returned our survey,” said Noya in a business-like manner (or as much of one as Noya was actually capable of), “thirteen people chose…Hinata!”

“What!  Not again!” Hinata yelped.

“Pipe down,” said Kageyama.  “It doesn’t mean anything.  They only paid that much attention to you because of our supernaturally fast quick.”

“Well, I know that,” said Hinata.  “But…doesn’t that mean that I stood out the most?  Not that I wanted to…”

“Even if that’s true,” said Suga, “don’t get an inflated head!  It’s not all your doing, you know.  The reason you’re so strong is because Kageyama is there to support you.”

“Of-of course!” said Hinata, jumping up.  “Of course I know that!  I wouldn’t be able to get past that wall without Kageyama.  When I hit his spike, it’s like…” Hinata trailed off, looking at the palm of his hand, his eyes shining.

There was a silent moment, with Suga and Daichi giving Hinata and Kageyama knowing smiles.  Red-faced, Kageyama coughed loudly.  Hinata snapped out of his reverie, looked around at the other boys, and sank back down to the floor, his cheeks slightly pink.

“Anyway,” said Daichi, “I don’t think we’re going to get anywhere with this system.”

“Could we be overthinking it?” Suga pondered.  “I don’t know, maybe it’s some sort of riddle…?”

Tsukishima wondered, “Is Asahi even smart enough to make up some sort of complicated riddle?”

The door of the locker room opened behind them, and Coach Ukai stood in the doorway.  “Daichi.  Suga.  May I speak to you for a moment?”

Noya and Tanaka started up with an “aaaaaaaw,” as if they were immature junior high students, making fun of the others for getting caught.

“You two are still in trouble!” the coach snapped at them, and their jaws snapped shut.

Daichi and Suga followed the coach out to the hallway, where Takeda-sensei was waiting for them.

 

“You take this, Takeda,” said Ukai.  “You’re the nice one.”  He walked several feet down the hallway and leaned against the wall, eyes closed.

Smiling, Takeda took a step toward Suga and Daichi, standing directly in front of them.  “Daichi.  Suga.  Great job today.  Another win for Karasuno.”  Then the smile faded from his face.  “But…there were quite a few times when you were sloppy, too.  Daichi, those receives you missed near the end of the first set…On any other day, they would have been easy for you.  And you, Suga…we switched you in for the second set because we thought you would give Kageyama some inspiration while he cooled down…but you had some sloppy tosses.  Of course, you two are strong players, but today was a weak day for you.  Why is that?”

Daichi and Suga were looking down at the floor, the bags under their eyes even more apparent with the dismal expressions on their faces.  They didn’t answer Takeda-sensei’s question.

“It’s because they chose to have a late night yesterday, and to distract themselves and their teammates right before the match,” Coach Ukai said from the side of the hallway, eyes still closed.  “Because they valued their silly game over their responsibility as leaders of the volleyball team.”

“That’s not true!” yelled Daichi, roused by the coach’s words.  “We do value our job!  And we love volleyball!  And our team!”

“Then why?!” the coach yelled, now standing tall with his eyes open.  “Why haven’t you been taking this seriously?!”

Daichi sputtered in anger, trying and failing to find a retort.  Calmly, Suga laid his hand on Daichi’s shoulder.  The serene look on his face calmed the storm in Daichi’s eyes.

“We’re very sorry,” Suga said softly.  “You are right in that we let ourselves be distracted from our goal, and came close to letting our team down.  We’ll be sure not to make the same mistake in the future.  But, Coach Ukai, Takeda-sensei, we don’t think of this as a ‘silly game.’  This…this is for Asahi.”

“You boys are young,” Takeda-sensei sighed.  “You don’t know what love is yet, not really.”

“I disagree,” said Daichi, calmer now but still firm.  “Asahi is timid and easily scared, but he seems to really be in love.  We don’t want him to lose heart and never work up the courage to talk to the one he cares about.”

Suga added, “To have love slip through your fingers, just because you’re afraid…that would be very sad.”

“You seem to really care about Asahi’s feelings,” said Takeda-sensei softly.

There was a pause.  “I…,” started Daichi, his head lowered to hide his expression.  “I…know how he feels.”

Another silence.  Then Coach Ukai walked over and put his hands on the two boys’ shoulders.  They looked up in surprise as the coach grinned at them.

“Well, you know what you did wrong.  Let’s gather the team up and get some lunch.  My treat.”

“Yes, sir.”


	3. Chapter 3

The days following the practice match were fairly quiet.  The boys of the Karasuno volleyball team, starters and bench warmers alike, practiced very hard.  They collapsed into bed each night exhausted, barely having the strength to keep up their grades, much less to worry about Asahi’s love life.  Their next match was coming up fast.  It wouldn’t be a practice match.  It would be for real.  And it would be on Valentine’s Day.

Daichi and Suga felt a little guilty for abandoning their efforts to help Asahi, but what could be done?  They had already gotten an earful from the coach, and that was just for a practice match.  They didn’t want to think about what would happen if they became distracted for a real match.  Plus, losing meant letting their teammates down, and that was inexcusable, no matter the circumstances.

So, they continued to puzzle over Asahi’s clue on their own, coming up with nothing.  Everyone on the team was outstanding at something, whether it was spikes, receives, tosses, or emotional support, so how could they possibly name one single person who ‘really stands out on the court?’

Asahi, meanwhile, seemed to be getting his feelings under control.  He had razor sharp concentration and an iron will during practice.  His spikes seemed to be getting better every day.  Still, there were times when the others would catch him sighing after practice, head drooping, sometimes mumbling to himself.  They were worried, but they didn’t know what they could do to help.

Noya was the only one who treated Asahi normally.  Or rather, Noya seemed even more cheerful and charismatic than usual, in an attempt to cheer the ace.  His positive energy spread to the other players, and soon the morale was high once again, everyone talking excitedly about their first real match in a long time.

Every night, Noya and Asahi would walk home together, and every night, the fresh memory of Noya’s parting smile would lull Asahi to sleep.

The night before the match, Nishinoya and Asahi walked home together under the light of the crescent moon.  Asahi was slightly behind, watching Noya’s confident stride, the slight ripple of his calf muscles, the swinging of his arms, the shine of his dark hair as he passed in and out of the streetlamp light.  Beautiful.  Everything he saw was beautiful.

Suddenly, Noya stopped.  Asahi stumbled in surprise, tripping over his own two feet.  When he had regained his balance, he was side by side with Noya, who was giving him a tight smile.

“Sucks, doesn’t it?”

“Uh, what?”

Nishinoya continued walking, slumped over and a bit less energized than before.  “Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day, but we have our match, so you can’t spend it alone with the one you like.  That really sucks, sorry!”  Noya smiled at Asahi with his best attempt at nonchalance.

Asahi looked at Noya’s bright face, his eyes wide and lips slightly parted.  Then, he made a decision.

_It’s time to stop feeling sorry for myself.  I have to focus on the match.  I can’t let my teammates down…especially Nishinoya…_

Asahi returned Noya’s smile.  “I don’t mind, actually!”

Nishinoya stopped walking, his face frozen in position.  “Huh?”

Asahi came to a stop as well and shrugged.  “It’s not a big deal.  It’s just a dumb high school crush.  I’m sure I’ll get over it…I may even be over it already.”  He did his best not to show the pain behind these words.  “The important thing is being in peak condition for tomorrow.  I’m the ace, after all!”  With this, he gave Noya what he hoped looked like a smile brimming with confidence.

Noya was half out of the streetlamp’s light, his eyes in shadow.  “I…see…”  Then he was silent.

This confused Asahi, a little bit.  He seemed…serious.  But wasn’t it Noya who was always telling him to be more confident?  He’d thought that proudly calling himself the ace would earn a cheer from Noya.  He wondered with despair what he did wrong this time.

But it must have been just a trick of the light, because when Nishinoya raised his head once again, he was wearing his usual wide grin.  “Good for you!”

Asahi was relieved.  Noya approved of his change in attitude after all.

The corner where Noya usually split off was at the end of the block.  Noya ran ahead, looking back over his shoulder to give Asahi a little salute.  “Well, see you tomorrow, ace!”

At the sight of Noya’s carefree expression, Asahi felt a little pang in his heart, but he was careful not to let his feelings show.  “Good night!”

By the time Nishinoya had turned the corner, his expression was no longer carefree.  But Asahi didn’t see the tears dripping off the edge of his chin.

_It’s for the best_ , thought Asahi as he lay in bed.  He suppressed the thoughts that usually visited him right before falling asleep, not allowing himself to think of anything but volleyball.  It was a little hard getting to sleep, but when he did it was deep and dreamless.

Nishinoya didn’t get much sleep that night.

 

Karasuno’s players were brimming with energy.  They were well rested, well fed, and so enthusiastic that many of them were already warming up, jogging in place or doing jumping jacks.  It would only be about five minutes before they would stride onto the court, proudly sporting their cool black and orange uniforms, ready to prove to the world that the “flightless crows” were flying high once again.

But for once, Nishinoya’s voice was not heard among the laughter and words of enthusiasm.  He stood a little off from the group, leaning with his back against the wall and looking out of the window across from him.  He had dark semicircles under his eyes, which were dull and narrow.

The others noticed, of course.  How couldn’t they?  Noya was normally a bulldozer—loud, proud, and not allowing anything to bring him down.  The heavy aura of negativity that emanated from Noya told them that something seriously bad must have happened.  The energy level in the hallway dropped once everyone had noticed him.  Daichi tried his best to bring the energy back up, but the captain clearly felt discouraged as well.  Noya was the embodiment of team spirit, so when he was blue, it affected everyone.

Asahi watched the boy who had always cheered him up when he was down.  But Nishinoya was strong, and Asahi wasn’t.  He didn’t have the words that would help his friend.  Plus, it would be…easier, for somebody else to talk to him.  He looked to Daichi, who nodded and began to walk in Noya’s direction.

But at that moment, Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei came in.  “All riiiiight!” said Ukai loudly.  “You guys ready to kick ass out there?!”  The boys returned half-hearted smiles, as well as some pointed looks toward Nishinoya.

“Eh?  Nishinoya, you okay over there?”

Nishinoya snapped out of his reverie and responded, but the pitch of his voice was an octave lower than it usually was right before a big match.  “Oh…yeah.”

Ukai grinned, unperturbed.  “You stay up late doing pointless things?” he asked, looking at Noya but slapping Daichi on the back.  Daichi and Suga smiled sheepishly.

Noya failed to see the humor in the situation.  “No, just didn’t sleep much, that’s all…I’m okay.”  And with this, he gave an unconvincing smile.

Ukai, knowing the importance of spirit, refused to let the bad atmosphere in the hallway bring him down.  If anything, he only got louder and more energized.  “Okay, bring it in!”  The boys, including Noya, huddled together, hands on their knees, looking at their coach with an intense gaze.  Ukai’s confidence was already bringing the mood back up, sharpening the team members’ concentration.

“This is our first match of the tournament.  You’ve all worked hard for this, so don’t let it go to waste.  That being said, don’t get nervous, either.  Remember, even if you screw up, you always got five of the best high school players in Japan to cover for you.  So go out there and kick ass!”

“YEAH!”

Coach Ukai put his arm into the circle, and everyone else’s soon followed, their hands overlapping.  “Karasuno on three.  One, two—”

“KARASUNOOOOOOO!”  Their cry was almost primal as their energy returned full-force and they once again caught sight of their goal, their dream.

With that, they burst through the double doors that opened onto the court, sneakers squeaking, noses filled with the musky scent of polished wood and air salonpas, ears bombarded with applause.  Though they weren’t the type of people to crave the spotlight, everyone on the team secretly enjoyed that precious moment of parading onto the court amid cheers.  They seemed to move in slow motion.  It was a powerful feeling, like they were on top of the world.  It was a feeling of infinity.

Asahi caught a glance of Noya’s face as they pounded onto the court.  Even he had been positively influenced by the coach’s energy.  His eyes were wider and shining more brightly, and although his face was more neutral than energized, at least he was no longer frowning.

Noya felt eyes on him, and he turned to see Asahi’s concerned face.  Noya quickly looked away, quickening his step.  Hardly knowing what he was doing, Asahi caught his friend’s arm awkwardly.  Noya turned to look at him, that same neutral, unreadable look on his face.  Asahi was frozen.

“What?”  Despite what Asahi had expected, Noya didn’t sound irritable.  It took a lot for him to be mad at his friends.  It took a lot less for him to be mad at himself.

“Nishinoya,” Asahi mustered, with more confidence than he felt.  A pause, as he tried to think of what to say next.  “Let’s win today,” he finished lamely.  _Damn, how’s that supposed to cheer him up?  I feel so useless…_

To his surprise, Noya’s eyes seemed to regain some of their shine.  He didn’t smile, but his back straightened.  His face took on a look of determination.  “Yeah.  Let’s.”

The players warmed up, and since Asahi’s words—and more importantly, his genuine concern—had dispersed the fog in his mind, Noya saw with clarity.  He realized that his mood had put the team’s motivation at risk, and he knew he had to do something about it.

Cheering the team up was usually second nature to Noya.  But today, he had to take a shaky breath before he walked over to the warming-up group and willed himself to speak.

“Hey, guys.”  His friends had been worried about him, so after two simple words he had their attention right away.  Noya’s hands clenched into fists, his fingernails digging into his palms, forcing himself to be stronger.

“Sorry about earlier.  That was selfish of me.”

This was not the usual high-voiced, grinning, easy-going pep talk that Noya gave.  Instead, his eyes shone with a fiery determination and his muscles bulged with tension.

“Something personal was upsetting me, and…well, I’m leaving it at the door.  Let’s win today.”

The eyes of his teammates flashed, as if Noya’s fire had ignited them.  The other team, who had been watching the crows, noticed an almost tangible shift in the atmosphere on that side of the court.  It was as if everything had intensified.

Asahi looked at Noya with awe.  It was his carefree attitude that always relieved people’s nerves, but today…this new intensity was just as effective.  Everyone’s eyes and minds were clear and unfogged, their concentration razor sharp.

Meeting his gaze, Noya gave Asahi his first real smile of the day.  Asahi returned it.  Shortly thereafter, the match began.

 

It started off very well.  Karasuno took the first set fairly quickly, the score being 25-19.  The win revitalized their straining minds and sweating bodies.  After a water break, it was time for the second set…and time for the trouble to start.

The trouble was with Nishinoya.  A first-year on the opposite team had accidentally hit a serve straight to the libero, causing his teammates to clench their muscles in nervous anticipation and Noya’s teammates to smile.

But Noya’s reflexes were a fraction too slow, and the ball fell to the floor, a mere inch from his outstretched arms.  Noya fell to the floor, his sneakers squeaking on the polished wood.  His eyes were wide and dark.

_How could I have missed that…How?!_

“Don’t mind, Nishinoya!”

“Don’t mind!”

“…Yeah,” he responded flatly.  His small body seemed to be made of lead as he heaved himself onto his feet.

With that fluke on his mind, Noya missed more and more receives.  He only caught about one in three of the spikes (and now, serves) that came his way, but his successes only served as a reminder of his failures.  Of course, he had the rest of his team to rely on, but they seemed to be losing focus as well for some reason.

With Karasuno struggling to catch up at 16-20, the coach called a time out.  Nishinoya tensed his muscles as Ukai talked to individual players, waiting to be called out.

“Kageyama, your tosses seem a little too high right now.  It’s good that you have energy, but make sure to concentrate, too.”

“Yes!”

“Hinata, you’re jumping a little too early.  Don’t get impatient.”

“Yes!”

“Well, that’s pretty much it,” Coach Ukai said.  Noya’s muscles released with surprise.  “Skill-wise, this team is at a lower level than we are.  That’s obvious from how easily we took the first set.  But unfortunately, our concentration is off in this set.  I can’t help you with that.  Take a moment to breathe and relax, and then get back out there.”

The boys nodded and began to trickle back onto the court.  As Noya returned to the sidelines to await the impending switch, he looked over his shoulder and caught Coach Ukai’s eye.  Ukai’s sharp glance seemed to tell him, _I have nothing more to say to you.  You know what you need to do._   But he gave Noya an encouraging smile.  Noya reached the bench but remained on his feet, eyes closed, breathing deeply.

 

Final Score: 27-25.

“YEEEEAAAAAAH!” the Karasuno team members yelled, raising their fists in the air.  They cheered and high-fived, congratulating each other on their first win of the season.  Everyone was proud and jubilant, except for Noya, who was trying and failing to fake it.  After the line-up, he quickly slipped away.

As the others took swigs from their water bottles and wiped the sweat from their brows, Asahi saw Noya vanish through the exit of the court, the door closing behind him with a soft thud.  Asahi followed.

 

Noya walked as fast as his could without running, letting the heat and tension build up in his legs.  His face burned with shame as the images of his failed receives played and replayed in his mind.  He didn’t really care where he was going.  All he knew, when he was standing on the court after the end of the game, was that he couldn’t be there, with the friends he had dragged down.

He turned a corner, and the building’s exit was straight ahead, but the energy drained out of his exhausted body.  Back against the wall, he sunk to a sitting position, head between his knees and fingers locking together to press down on his neck.

 

Asahi stopped walking when he heard the “Tch!” that came from right around the corner.  He took deep breaths, wanting to prolong the time before he would approach his friend.  He didn’t know what to say.  But every moment he stood there was another moment that Noya was suffering, so he smothered his fears and turned the corner.

The boy was hunched over on the floor, seeming even smaller than usual.  His muscles looked rigid, and he grasped the hair at the nape of his neck, knuckles white.

“Nishinoya,” Asahi said in a light-hearted tone.  “What are you doing here, all alone?  It’s time to celebrate our victory!”

Nishinoya didn’t respond, and his only movement was to clutch his hair more firmly than before.

Asahi’s eyes and voice softened.  “Hey, cheer up, Noya.  We won, after all.  And you were a part of that…Plus, the most important thing in volleyball is the team, right?  We’re all great as individuals, of course, but we’re even better as a team.”

“I…”  Noya lifted his head and rested it in the palm of his hand.  He looked at Asahi, eyes pained.  “I know that.  Of course, the team is more important than its individuals.  But that’s exactly why…!”

Asahi said nothing, wanting to let his friend finish.

Noya sighed.  “I know I play two crucial roles on this team.  I’m a libero.  That means it’s my job to make sure the ball doesn’t touch the ground.  I failed at that today.”

Asahi tried to interrupt, but Noya talked over him.  “Also…I’m always the one to boost the team’s morale.  But I failed in that, too.  I brought everyone down.  I was useless.  I failed in both my duties today, so I don’t deserve to celebrate with everyone.”

Asahi’s eyes widened as he witnessed this side of Noya that he had never seen before.  Even when Noya was angry or disappointed, he was never self-deprecating.  For the first time, Asahi realized how much it must take out of Noya to always have to be the cheerful one.

_His soul…is like a bright light.  I’ve always thought that.  A bright light, which he wants to share with others.  But if he’s always the one lighting up the darkness for others…who’s going to light up the darkness for him?_

Asahi’s fists clenched.

_Me._

He stormed over to Noya, grabbed the boy’s arm, and hoisted him to his feet.

“Ouch, hey--!”

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE SAYING, HUH?!”

Noya’s eyes widened at the usually timid boy’s tone of voice.

“If you think you bring down the team, then I must be even worse!  On average, I miss more spikes than you miss receives, so that makes me even more useless than you are, right?!”

“No, Asahi!  I thought you were over this!  I thought I told you not to talk like that…”

Asahi grabbed the collar of Noya’s bright orange jersey with both hands, bringing their faces close together.

“If I’m not allowed to feel sorry for myself,” Asahi yelled, eyes shining, “then neither are you!  The team is important, but you’re just as important, Nishinoya!  You’re important to me, to everyone on the team!  So even if you mess up every once in a while, you have to get back on your feet!  For your sake, for my sake, for the team’s sake!  Don’t get mad at yourself, and don’t give up!!”

Anger flashed in Noya’s eyes.  He roughly pushed away Asahi’s arms.  “You accuse me of giving up, but aren’t you the one who’s giving up?!”

“…What?”  To Asahi’s surprise, Noya seemed to be tearing up.

“You’re in love, aren’t you?  But you’re willing to give that up just so you don’t get distracted from volleyball, right?  Aren’t you just giving up without a fight, too?!”

Nishinoya’s voice echoed in the long hallway.  Asahi watched, stunned, as long-held tears streamed down his friend’s face.  After a long moment, Noya let out a strained, unnatural laugh.  His next words were quieter.

“Man, I’m really acting like an idiot, aren’t I?  Not like _that_ has anything to do with volleyball…You’re right, of course, Asahi.  I’ve been giving up too easily.”

His heart beating painfully for his friend’s sadness, Asahi wrapped his arms around Noya.  “You’re right, too.  We’ve both been giving up too easily.”

They stood like that for a few moments, Noya’s head resting against Asahi’s shoulder.  The only sound was Noya’s occasional sniffle.

Asahi let go and took a half-step back, looking at Noya with determination.  Noya felt like a fool and wished his tears would just stop already.

“You’re right, of course,” Asahi repeated firmly.  “I can’t expect you to be cheerful and not give up when I’ve been acting the same way as you.  So, how about this?  If you stop running away, I’ll stop running away, too.”

Noya’s eyes were wide with surprise.  He wasn’t sure where this was going.  But for once, Asahi looked so sure of himself…Noya wanted to be swept along with Asahi’s confidence.  He nodded.

Despite the certainty of his expression, Asahi felt queasy.  His stomach felt like it had turned into a hot air balloon and was trying to fly away from his body.  The moment was so unreal.  Everything faded away except the boy in front of him, the boy who was trying to stem the flow of his tears, the boy for whom Asahi would do anything if only it would make him smile.

“Nishinoya.  You’ve always been there for me.  When I was weak…when I didn’t feel like I was good enough…when I felt useless and powerless…you were there.  You told me that I was more than good enough, and that I was a special part of the team.  Without you…I wouldn’t even be able to stand on the court.  That’s how special you are to me.  I…want to be the one _you_ can rely on.  So, basically…what I’m saying is…”

Asahi stuttered and blushed, and Noya’s eyes were wide and bright, almost not daring to hope…

“Nishinoya, I really like you.  Will you go out with me?”

 

As the last stragglers were filing out of the gym, Ukai talked and laughed with his friends from the Neighborhood Association.  Most of the players had already left the gym, but Hinata had been talking with a couple of classmates who had come out to see him in action.  As Hinata began to leave the court, Ukai called him over.

“Hey, Hinata!  Great job today!  Especially those last few spikes.”  Ukai gave him two thumbs up.

“Thank you very much!” Hinata beamed.

“Yeah, great job.  In the short time we’ve watched your matches, you’ve really improved a lot!” said one of Ukai’s friends.

“Everyone has!” said the other.  “Man, I can’t even decide who the coolest one is on this team.”

“Hmm…maybe Shouyo-kun, because of that god-like quick?” said the first.  Hinata brightened at the compliment.

“No, I’m thinking Tobio-kun.  He keeps the team running like a well-oiled machine…No, wait!  If you’re talking about the one who _stands out_ the most…it’s obvious!”

Hinata’s head snapped to the man who was talking.

“It’s gotta be the little libero, Yuu-kun!  After all, his jersey is that eye-catching shade of orange.  It practically leaves an afterimage when you look away!” the man laughed.

“Heh, was that intended to be a joke or some--”

“PLEASE EXCUSE ME!” said Hinata.  He bowed sharply, then ran out of the room.

One of the men turned to Ukai.  “What was that all about?  It wasn’t anything I said, was it?”

Ukai wore a sly smile.  He brought his index finger to his lips.  “It’s a secret.”

 

Hinata whizzed through the halls, his mind racing.

_Of course…of course!  Why didn’t we figure it out earlier?  Clever Asahi…what a riddle!  Well, better let Noya-senpai know!  It might cheer him up!_

Hinata caught a glimpse of an orange jersey up ahead.  It was obviously Noya, though only the edge of his jersey peeked out from around the corner.  In his excitement, Hinata called out.

“NOYA-SENPAAAAI!  IT’S YOU!  ASAHI LIKES…huh?”

After turning the corner, Hinata froze in place.

It wasn’t just Noya.  Asahi was there, too.

And they were kissing.

One of Asahi’s arms was curved around Noya’s back, and the other held the back of his head.  Noya’s hands were cupping Asahi’s face.  Their eyes were closed, their lips pressed together.

Their lips brushed softly apart as they turned to look at the boy who had interrupted them.

Hinata was still frozen in a running position.  He was blushing furiously.  Seeing the other boys smile at him, Hinata snapped to attention like a soldier.

“W-well…Good!  Just came to ch-check up on you!  See that y-you were o-okay!  Uh…bye!”  With that, Hinata went running in the direction from which he had come.

Noya and Asahi turned their eyes on each other and laughed.  It was a light-hearted, giddy, dizzy laugh.  Then, their lips brushed together once again.

 

“You knew all along?!” Daichi asked, as he and Suga stood in the hallway after the match’s spectators had all cleared away.

“Yeah.  I’m pretty observant, so I noticed that when Asahi was spacing out during practice, it was usually in Noya’s direction.  When things like that happen…,” Suga said meaningfully, “…well, it’s pretty obvious.”

Daichi was silent for a moment, considering his friend’s cryptic words.

“But then…why didn’t you just tell—uh, Nishinoya--you knew about his—Asahi’s—feelings?”

“I wanted to give him—that is, Asahi—the chance to confess.  For some guys, you just have to give them time.”

“But…wouldn’t it be better to ask out guys like that first, so they don’t have to be nervous?”

“Well, for masculine, leader-type guys, it can hurt their pride if they’re not the one to ask, you know?”

“But Asahi isn’t that type of guy…”

“Ah, come to think of it, he isn’t, is he?” said Suga, stifling a smile.  “Shall we go?”

Suga went through the front exit of the building, followed by a very confused but slightly hopeful Daichi.

 

Hinata walked stiffly out the side exit of the school building, face frozen with embarrassment.  His cheeks were a light pink color, his eyes were half-closed, and his mouth was hanging open.

“Where are you going, with that idiotic look on your face?”  At Kageyama’s words, Hinata stopped short.  Kageyama had been lying on the grass alone, looking out at the soft orange and salmon pink of the sunset.  An unusually sentimental and idle activity for the restless boy, but Hinata was too worried about his own problem to comment on this oddity.

“Kageyamaaaa,” the boy wailed.  “I’m so embarrassed!  I just walked in on—on—ugh, n-never mind!”

Instead of mocking him as Hinata expected he would, Kageyama silently looked back out at the sunset.  Surprised, Hinata shook off his embarrassment and looked too, and the sight reminded him of something.

“Come to think of it…The sun was setting that time, too…”

“Yeah.”

Kageyama heard in his mind the words and the voice that were emblazoned in his memory.

_If you’re the King that rules the court, I’ll have to defeat you, and I’ll be the last one standing!_

Hinata, too, was listening to an unforgettable voice echoing in his mind.

_The last ones standing are the victors.  Only the strongest.  If you want to be the last one standing, become strong._

Hinata thought to himself, _I’ll defeat Kageyama one day.  I definitely will.  But…for now, I’m happy that we’re allies.  Maybe…maybe he can help me be strong._

Kageyama thought to himself, _Geez, this moron…To think that I have to work on the same team as him…But, somehow, I feel like I’m stronger now.  And…as much as I hate to admit it, I didn’t grow stronger all on my own._

Kageyama patted the grass beside him, and Hinata lay down next to him, just a little bit closer than necessary.  They watched the sunset, and when Hinata put his hand in Kageyama’s, Kageyama didn’t move away.

 

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi watched from behind the corner of the school building’s brick wall.  After the exhausting match, Kageyama and Hinata seemed to have fallen asleep right there in the grass, unaware of how closely they were cuddling.  Tsukishima’s smile was a smirk.  Yamaguchi’s was wide and childish.

“Hey Tsuki, can we do that?” Yamaguchi asked, his puppy eyes shining brightly.

“Idiot,” responded Tsukishima coolly.  Yamaguchi pouted.  Tsukishima flicked his face and started walking home.  Yamaguchi said “Ow!” and followed.

“Those two,” said Tsukishima a couple minutes later, “are making fools of themselves in public.”  Yamaguchi said nothing, opting instead to continue pouting.

Tsukishima continued.  “If we’re going to make fools of ourselves, we might as well wait until we get back to my place.”

“Huh--?!”  Yamaguchi studied Tsukishima’s face as they walked, wondering if he had misheard.  Tsukishima’s face was as impassive as ever, but there was no mistaking what he had said.

“What kind of movie do you want to watch tonight?” Tsukishima asked.  “I just got a Netflix account, so whatever you want.”

“Let’s watch a rom com, since it’s Valentine’s Day!”

“No.”

“Aw, come on, Tsuki~!”

“No.”  But he was smiling.

 

“Ready to get drunk?!” asked Ukai, slinging his arm around Takeda’s shoulders.  They had stayed behind after all the spectators were gone, chatting with some old friends who were attending the match, but now they were the only ones in the hallway.

“W-what?  Shouldn’t we buy dinner for the team, like usual?”

“Oh, them?”  Ukai laughed.  “Let’s leave the lovebirds to their own devices.”

“Ah, I see…So that means, you don’t have a girlfriend, huh?”

“Nope!” said Ukai, beaming.  “So it’s practically a rule that a pathetic, single guy like me has to find another guy who’s just as pathetic and single and get drunk in a show of manly solidarity!”

“Hey, if you’re looking for someone pathetic, look elsewhere!” Takeda laughed.

Ukai laughed too, but then he put on a somber look.  “Seriously, though, I’m not even thirty, and my parents are already worried that I’m going to die an old bachelor…”  Ukai brightened as he thought of something.  “Hey, Take-chan, will you marry me?”

Takeda laughed.  “Ask me again after we’re drunk.”

 

Kiyoko, the pretty lady manager of the Karasuno men’s volleyball team, knew more than people thought.  She rarely spoke, but she observed.

“WHERE DID EVERYBODY GOOOOOOO?!” yelled the abandoned Tanaka, on his knees in the grass in front of the high school.

“Home,” Kiyoko answered quietly.

Still on his knees, Tanaka turned to look at her.  “Ki-kiyoko-san!  Th-they left us behind?  No celebration dinner or anything?!”

“It is Valentine’s Day, after all.  They may be spending the little time they have left of the day with their significant others.”

“WHAT?” Tanaka boomed.  “We don’t have S.O.’s!  We’re all sex starved!  Since we’re always practicing, when would we have had time to get in a relationship?!”

Kiyoko didn’t answer, though she was less ignorant of the day’s events than Tanaka was.  She looked at the poor guy, tears streaming down his face, cursing his forever alone-ness.  She walked until she was standing next to him, then got down on her knees as well.  When Tanaka noticed, he gave her a look of confusion.

Kiyoko leaned forward and gave the boy a light kiss on the cheek.  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Tanaka-san,” she said softly.

Tanaka was frozen, mouth agape, cheeks slightly red, apparently still processing what had just happened.  Kiyoko stood up and began to walk home.

Something finally clicked, and Tanaka jumped onto his feet, his face broken into a goofy smile.  He ran to catch up to the girl walking off into the distance.

“KIYOKO-SAN!  WAIT UP!  YAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

 

Asahi and Nishinoya held hands as they walked into the sunset.


End file.
